Madison County Spice Arrests

MADISON COUNTY, Ala. (WHNT)–Thursday October 4 The Madison County Sheriff’s Department made a Spice bust at a head-shop on Highway 72 East.

After a complaint about Spice at Voodoo Willie’s Tobacco Shop, the Sheriff’s Investigation Division arrested owner Ronald Brian Young and clerk Shawn Ivan Francis. Both men face trafficking charges.

Investigators say about thirty packs of spice were found displayed in plain sight inside the shop. Sheriff’s deputies say Young and Francis produced a toxicology report from the spice distributor in another state, claiming their product was perfectly legal. Investigators say, “Never in Alabama.”

“It will be treated the same as selling, possessing or trafficking cocaine,” says Sergeant Brian Chaffin. “We want business owners to understand that these distributors that are trying to get them to sell this product–it is illegal–no matter what kind of paperwork they show you.”

And if shop owners have not clearly gotten the message yet, The Madison County Sheriff’s Department continues to send a direct and stern warning.

“Whatever business is selling it, we’re gonna do the same thing we’ve done before, we’re gonna tell you we’re coming to get you and we’re going to stop it in Madison County.”

Sergeant Chaffin says if convicted the minimum sentencing for a trafficking “analogs” or spice charge is one to three years in prison.